Delicious Treat: Robert Is Here

Family at fruit vendor

There is an array of unique culinary offering in Miami but enough about the latest restaurant opening on South Beach or the trendiest mixology bar in the Design District; let’s talk about a world-famous tropical fruit stand in Florida City that makes for a perfect stop coming or going from the Everglades – Robert is Here.

With a fresh selection of tropical fruit and vegetables, like mangos, avocados, and coconuts, Robert Is Here also grows some truly exotic tropical fruit. Chances are you’ll sample something you’ve never even laid eyes on before. Here’s a primer on some of the most unusual – and delicious – fruit that Robert Is Here grows and sells at his stand:

Jackfruit

This is the largest tropical fruit that grows on trees and a single jackfruit can weigh up to 80 pounds. The skin resembles a green sea urchin and inside is a soft orange fruit with large seeds. The meat has a pineapple-vanilla flavor. Jackfruits grow in the summertime.

Guanabana

Another fruit that grows in the summertime, the guanabana has a similar green prickly skin as the jackfruit. When the fruit is ripe, the skin is extremely soft and can be opened with your hands. Inside, the pockets of fruit surrounded by seeds taste like “pineapple cotton candy,” according to Robert.

Dragonfruit

Dragonfruit has a bright pink skin and inside, the fruit is white with small black seeds. The best way to enjoy dragonfruit is to cut it in half and eat the inside with a spoon. The taste is like a raspberry, strawberry, and kiwi combined. This fruit grows in the summer and fall.

What’s in the name?

So where did the name Robert Is Here come from? It is an amazing story of a little boy who opened a fruit stand in 1959 at age six to help his father sell produce from the family farm. To get the attention of passersby, Robert’s dad scrawled the words: “Robert Is Here” on two signs and affixed them to the side of the table. That day, Robert sold all of his produce by noon, and a budding farmer and entrepreneur was born. The farm and stand has been open for business ever since and Robert himself is still on site nearly everyday.

It’s garnered the attention of major media outlets like NBC’s Today Show with its amazing stock of fresh fruit and its so Miami local color. In addition to the fresh tropical fruit, Robert also whips up some pretty incredible fresh fruit milkshakes, including the famous key lime shake. There’s also a petting zoo with animals like emus and various farm animals, so kids who aren’t as interested in the wide array of fruits and veggies have something a bit more fun to focus on.

Robert Is Here is not just any fruit stand, it’s a gathering place for family and friends to enjoy a sunny afternoon in South Florida. During high season (November through March) there’s even live music on the weekends.

While exploring all that Miami has to offer consider taking a stroll off the beaten path to Florida City and enjoy the tropical fruits at Robert Is Here, a true Miami treasure.

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